Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Margo White’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Margo White’, characterized by its compact, upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform, early and freely flowering habit; medium-sized daisy-type inflorescences with white-colored ray florets; and excellent garden performance.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘MARGO WHITE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Margo White’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium. The objective of the breeding program is to create new freely flowering Chrysanthemum plants with unique and attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in September, 2005 of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Bardi’, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Osimo’, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in September, 2006.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by vegetative cuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in January, 2007. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Margo White’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Margo White’ as a new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Compact, upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant         habit; moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.     -   3. Uniform, early and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Medium-sized daisy-type inflorescences with white-colored ray         florets.     -   5. Excellent garden performance.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from the female parent, ‘Bardi’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more rounded than plants         of ‘Bardi’.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum have fewer         ray florets than inflorescences of plants of ‘Bardi’.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier than plants of         ‘Bardi’.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from the male parent, ‘Osimo’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are more compact than and are         not as vigorous as plants of ‘Osimo’.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum have fewer         ray florets than inflorescences of plants of ‘Osimo’.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants of Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Cleagar Ckt’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 11,294. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium, plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘Cleagar Ckt’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more rounded than and         not as upright as plants of ‘Cleagar Ckt’.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more compact than plants         of ‘Cleagar Ckt’.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum and ‘Cleagar         Ckt’ differed in ray floret shape.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum plant. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Margo White’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 19-cm containers during the late summer and early autumn in an outdoor nursery in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium and under cultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 25° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 20° C. Plants were 20 weeks old when the photograph and detailed description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2005 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Margo White’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Bardi’,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Osimo’,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at             temperatures of about 20° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at             temperatures of about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 30 days             at temperatures of about 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 40 days             at temperatures of about 20° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Perennial daisy-type Chrysanthemum; stems             upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly rounded             appearance to the plant; plants roughly spherical; very             freely branching habit, about 25 primary lateral branches             develop, each primary lateral branch with multiple secondary             branches; pinching enhances lateral branch development;             dense and full plant habit; moderately vigorous growth             habit; plants flexible, not brittle.         -   Plant height.—About 45 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 55 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm to 30 cm. Diameter:             About 2.5 mm to 3.5 mm. Internode length: About 2.5 cm.             Strength: Strong, flexible. Texture: Pubescent;             longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 137C.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 4.5 cm             to 6 cm. Width: About 3.5 cm to 4 cm. Shape: Palmately             lobed. Apex: Rounded to cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Palmately lobed and serrate, sinuses between lateral lobes             divergent to parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Slightly pubescent. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface:             Close to 137C. Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to             137D. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137C;             venation, close to 148C. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to 147B to 147C.             Petiole: Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent and rough.             Color, upper surface: Close to 137C. Color, lower surface:             Close to 137D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy inflorescence form; inflorescences borne             on terminals above foliar plane; disc and ray florets             arranged acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Fragrance.—Slightly fragrant, pungent.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants             flower in early September in Belgium; flowering response             time, about six weeks.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about six weeks in an outdoor nursery;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 20 inflorescences develop             per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 7 mm. Diameter: About             1.5 cm. Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 137C.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 7 cm. Depth (height):             About 2 cm. Disc diameter: About 1 cm to 1.5 cm. Receptacle             diameter: About 3 mm. Receptacle height: About 2.5 mm to             3 mm. Receptacle color: Close to 144B.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 5.5 cm to 6 cm. Width: About             7 mm. Shape: Oval. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 25 arranged in one to two whorls.             Color: When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             155D. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             N155D; color does not change with development.         -   Disc florets.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm to             1 mm. Shape: Tubular, elongated; apices acute. Number of             disc florets per inflorescence: About 150 to 200 massed at             the center of the inflorescence. Color, immature: Close to             145A. Color, mature: Close to 12A.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 25             arranged in two or three whorls. Length: About 4 mm to 6 mm.             Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded.             Base: Rounded to truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface:             Close to 137A. Color, lower surface: Close to N137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 5 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 5 cm. Length, seventh peduncle: About             5 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Angle: About 30° from             vertical. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Slightly             pubescent. Color: Close to 137C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:             Not observed.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit production have not been             observed on plants of the new Chrysanthemum. -   Disease & pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common     to Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated excellent garden performance and will tolerate     temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 45° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Margo White’ as illustrated and described. 